Ursula Casabonne Freundt

I am a development policy specialist with more than twenty years of experience supporting governments, multilateral institutions, and development partners with policy research, operational analytics, and strategic advisory services. My work focuses on addressing complex policy challenges related to gender equality, social inclusion, and the prevention and response to gender-based violence, drawing on rigorous qualitative and quantitative analysis.

I have worked extensively with the World Bank since 2007, supporting multiple units across regions and global practices. My work includes leading and contributing to policy diagnostics, flagship analytical reports, guidance notes, toolkits, and operational resources across sectors such as climate and energy, transport and infrastructure, social protection, labor markets, human development, and community-driven development, with a consistent focus on integrating gender equality and gender-based violence prevention and response into policies, programs, and investments.

Beyond the World Bank, my career includes work with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, the Institute of Development Studies (UK), and research institutions in Latin America and Europe.